


Just Like Fire

by The_Flower_Bookworm



Category: His Dark Materials (TV), His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22099528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Flower_Bookworm/pseuds/The_Flower_Bookworm
Summary: Marisa Delamere does not melt. Especially not for men.
Relationships: Lord Asriel/Marisa Coulter
Kudos: 20





	Just Like Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so this is my first piece of writing on this site, so please don’t be too mean. Suggestions are welcome (and accepted). Thanks for reading

Marisa Delamare was not one to be speechless. She prided herself on always having an answer. It was her who left them speechless, as they watched her leave the conversation with more grace than a human should ever possess. She was icy, yet everyone who saw her was fascinated by the stunning woman and her curious golden monkey dæmon.

So why, when confronted with Lord Asriel, was she speechless? Admittedly, he was good-looking. His eyes, a few shades darker than her own, were fixated on her, sparking as she scrambled to piece together a decent sentence.

‘Cat got your tongue Miss Delamare?’

She narrowed her eyes at him before glancing around the room for her fiancé. While she has no attachments to him, he might in useful in situations such as this. Not that she’d know. She had never even vaguely needed him before now.

Her dæmon gently tugged at her dress, a long sleeveless garment which she had chosen to complement her eyes. Unfortunately, it also matched Lord Asriel’s eyes with startling accuracy. That alone was enough to throw her off her guard again and she didn’t bother to berate her dæmon for showing a sign of weakness and touching her.

‘Miss Delamere?’

Asriel sounded amused, and that made her blood boil. However, it was not her place to slap him (no matter how much she wanted to) so she resigned herself to a sweet smile which promised a long and painful death to its recipient.

‘Yes My Lord?’

‘You failed to answer my original question my dear. Has my cat got your tongue? I assure you that Stelmaria is harmless.’

Ignoring how he referred to her, she spared a glance to his dæmon. The beast was lying down with her eyes half closed. Even in this relaxed state, she seemed to radiate power. Much like herself, Marisa realised.

‘Apologies Sir. I was on the lookout for my soon to be husband. Please don’t think I was disrespecting you.’

She forced herself to mask her face with a love struck smile and a bite of her lip. Her dæmon remained unimpressed. Despite her trying, he has never been able to hide his feeling, especially about Mr Edward Coulter.

‘Don’t lie to me Miss Delamere. I assure you that neither of us appreciate it.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t understand.’

‘I’ve heard the rumours Miss Delamere. I know all about you and your schemes. You don’t fool me. The Marisa Delamere I’ve learnt about is a cunning, lying, scheming bastard with nothing but hatred in her soul. Although, I could have learnt that from a glance from your dæmon. He is rather obvious in the showing of his emotions. Sadly, the men and women around us have such small brains that they notice golden fur and cute eyes and only see an innocent angel.’

Speechless again.

‘You can’t even respond. Why? Is it because everything I said is true? You’ve never had the truth thrown at you like that, have you Miss Delamere?’

He was smug. Insufferably so. How dare he insinuate such a thing! Just because it was true doesn’t mean he had to bring it up. It was her secret. That behind the beautiful Miss Delamere was an intelligent and ruthless women who would bend people’s wills to the point that they almost snapped.

His eyes were flashing with undisguised amusement. Somehow, he knew exactly what was going on inside her head. She couldn’t let him win. In a battle of wits, she never lost.

‘It would seem to me’ she chose her words carefully ‘that you are everything I am too. You are the same as me, cruel and calculating.’

She had never admitted she was anything but perfect before. Asriel simply grinned before saying

‘You are both wrong and right Miss Delamere. For I am everything you wish you could be, but also everything you are. We are opposites but the same. Like fire and ice. Both are wonderful at a distance, but can easily kill you. You shouldn’t get too close, and yet there is something so magnetic about them that you can’t help it. Shall we dance?’

Before she could answer, he took her in his arms and waltzed off. He was an irritatingly good dancer, gliding around the floor. Slowly heading towards an open door.

He reached the open door and pulled her through a hallway into another, much smaller and more private room. There he sat, he dæmon casually flicking her tail from side to side.

‘Go on then’ he said ‘do your worst.’

And so she did.

‘How fucking dare you! You think you have the authority to walk up to me and insult me like that. You call me all those evil things and expect me to smile prettily. Well, are you happy now? You make the famed Marisa Delamere scream at you! Are you going to go back to your little friends and laugh about how ugly and unattractive I looked? Is that what you wanted? You are the most evil person I’ve ever had the displeasure to meet! I loathe you Lord Asriel!’

All through her tirade, Asriel has perched himself on a table and was calmly stroking his dæmon.

‘You done?’ He asked.

When she nodded he stood up.

‘Now you’ve had your little yell at me, I think it’s my go. You said I was the most evil person you’ve ever met’

‘You are.’

He glared at her before starting to yell.

‘No Marisa Delamere, you are the most evil person I’ve ever met. I’m not perfect, but I’m not the sort of person to laugh about you behind your back. You don’t get to ask me how I fucking dare to say the truth to you. You know it’s the truth. Frankly, you are a manipulative devil of a person who just wants power. You hate me because you don’t have any power over me. We are equals, and you don’t like that.’ He finished with a vindictive smile.

‘I wish I had never met you Lord Asriel!’

‘Likewise.’

Her dæmon let out an angry screech before jumping on Stelmaria, his sharp claws scratching at her back. Asriel let out a roar of pain, and grabbed Marisa, shoving her against the wall.

Breathing hard, he whispered in her ear.

‘Is this how you want to play Marisa? Dirty?’

She shivered. Her dæmon had been pinned to the floor by Stelmaria, who had one paw on his throat. She cursed him for his weakness before turning back the the man. His dark eyes, the colour of a sky before a storm, stared into her’s.

‘I hate you’ she muttered.

‘Right back at you princess’ he said before smashing his lips against hers.

It wasn’t the sweet kiss of two people in love. It was a frenzied one, full of blood from where Marisa has bitten his lip. It was anger and lust and hatred. It was poison, and yet Marisa couldn’t stop. She was made of evil, but hid it away. She was strong and never stopped for anyone.

And yet, just like ice does when confronted with fire, she melted.


End file.
